I know, I know it's only November, for once I'm ahead of myself but I'm sure you'll be delighted to hear that any future blogs will be very short and will have some sort of media attatched (once I figure out how to add them) and hopefully won't be all about me (Yippee!)
You must admit though that last blog made up for all the months of waiting (word wise anyway) I'm sure you've had enough of me for another few months!
No Media attatched. That resolution only starts from when I post this one.
PS A very early good morning (it's 1.08) and an even earlier Happy New Year
Monday, November 7, 2011
Guess Who?
Bet you thought I'd up and left for good? Sorry you're not so lucky because yes I'm back all over again. I wasn't wasn't supposed to be writing this because I am supposed to be doing the legitimate writing whenever I get a minute but I had written a piece regarding a discussion on YA Lit I was part of and thought I would share it. So here it is...
I got an invite some weeks ago to partake in a discussion on Young Adult Literature, with the award winning and controversial Melvin Burgess and the award winning Celine Kiernan, what an honour! It all happened on Monday the 17th of October in Pearse Street library, organised by the brilliant Aoife in Children’s Books Ireland, thanks Aoife. It was a bonus that our chair for the evening is one of my favourite people, Niall McMonagle, even if he does ask difficult questions… well maybe not difficult as much as insightful and thought provoking, which made for an interesting chat. It was great to listen to different authors discuss their craft, it’s amazing how much it varies for us all.
I have to apologise that I was stumped when Niall asked about YA authors that we admired. I know, I know, how the hell could I not name anyone? When there are so many brilliant writers out there. My answer is two-fold, firstly because of my fantastically crazy kids, six in total, I get very little time to myself so any moment I have free I write. Reading books is a luxury I’ve had to sacrifice (along with tv, magazines, surfing the web etc) to become an author. I’m sure this will change…someday. Secondly in those rare few moments before sleep or when I cannot sleep I do have a book on creative visualisation and other books on positive motivation, which I dip in and out of, they really help to re-focus and re-energise me when I need it.
The discussion ended all too soon and just in that last moment a lady from the audience posed a very interesting question, ‘were we, the authors, concerned that our books, which all deal with the issue of being gay to different degrees, would prompt people to become gay, even as a passing phase, because it’s fashionable?’ Celine became a tad irate and reminded the woman that there’s nothing wrong with being gay, Melvin laughed and hoped they’d become gay for longer than five minutes, he thought they might even enjoy it and want to be gay for longer. Me, well I didn’t get the chance to answer…until now!!! I think well done to the lady for posing the question, it’s a difficult thing to do in this day and age, especially when we’re supposed to be so PC, considerate, diplomatic, inclusive, inoffensive, liberal, multicultural, non-discriminatory, non-racist, non-sexist, respectful, sensitive etc. We have to remember that the catholic doctrine still believes that it is wrong to be gay and for generations now the Catholic Church has had a lot of power over its many followers, like all religions it doesn’t allow people to question, you accept the teaching of the church and that’s it. It is only in recent years that people have begun to question and stand up to the church. So I don’t think it is the fault of people, who have been forced to believe for years, albeit wrongly, that it is wrong to be gay. But asking and expecting them to suddenly accept the complete opposite is unfair, especially if we are expecting them to accept it without raising their concerns or questions. It is only through reasonable discussion and talking openly about being gay that people will come to understand and accept that love is love regardless of whether it is two girls, two boys or a boy and a girl.
So what do you think? Interesting? It's about to chime midnight so I'm off to my leaba before I turn into a pumkin or something, or was that the coach?
PS Hi Juliette and thanks for looking me up.
I got an invite some weeks ago to partake in a discussion on Young Adult Literature, with the award winning and controversial Melvin Burgess and the award winning Celine Kiernan, what an honour! It all happened on Monday the 17th of October in Pearse Street library, organised by the brilliant Aoife in Children’s Books Ireland, thanks Aoife. It was a bonus that our chair for the evening is one of my favourite people, Niall McMonagle, even if he does ask difficult questions… well maybe not difficult as much as insightful and thought provoking, which made for an interesting chat. It was great to listen to different authors discuss their craft, it’s amazing how much it varies for us all.
I have to apologise that I was stumped when Niall asked about YA authors that we admired. I know, I know, how the hell could I not name anyone? When there are so many brilliant writers out there. My answer is two-fold, firstly because of my fantastically crazy kids, six in total, I get very little time to myself so any moment I have free I write. Reading books is a luxury I’ve had to sacrifice (along with tv, magazines, surfing the web etc) to become an author. I’m sure this will change…someday. Secondly in those rare few moments before sleep or when I cannot sleep I do have a book on creative visualisation and other books on positive motivation, which I dip in and out of, they really help to re-focus and re-energise me when I need it.
The discussion ended all too soon and just in that last moment a lady from the audience posed a very interesting question, ‘were we, the authors, concerned that our books, which all deal with the issue of being gay to different degrees, would prompt people to become gay, even as a passing phase, because it’s fashionable?’ Celine became a tad irate and reminded the woman that there’s nothing wrong with being gay, Melvin laughed and hoped they’d become gay for longer than five minutes, he thought they might even enjoy it and want to be gay for longer. Me, well I didn’t get the chance to answer…until now!!! I think well done to the lady for posing the question, it’s a difficult thing to do in this day and age, especially when we’re supposed to be so PC, considerate, diplomatic, inclusive, inoffensive, liberal, multicultural, non-discriminatory, non-racist, non-sexist, respectful, sensitive etc. We have to remember that the catholic doctrine still believes that it is wrong to be gay and for generations now the Catholic Church has had a lot of power over its many followers, like all religions it doesn’t allow people to question, you accept the teaching of the church and that’s it. It is only in recent years that people have begun to question and stand up to the church. So I don’t think it is the fault of people, who have been forced to believe for years, albeit wrongly, that it is wrong to be gay. But asking and expecting them to suddenly accept the complete opposite is unfair, especially if we are expecting them to accept it without raising their concerns or questions. It is only through reasonable discussion and talking openly about being gay that people will come to understand and accept that love is love regardless of whether it is two girls, two boys or a boy and a girl.
So what do you think? Interesting? It's about to chime midnight so I'm off to my leaba before I turn into a pumkin or something, or was that the coach?
PS Hi Juliette and thanks for looking me up.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
No Excuses!
I've run out of excuses, so lets just skip over the whys of why I haven't written in ages and just get down to the important stuff like did you know that magnetic north has shifted and north really isn't north any more??? Interesting eh? Or that Jupiter's magnetic field is so massive that it pours billions of Watts into Earths magnetic field every day? Or that BROADWAY'S NOT JUST FOR GAYS ANYMORE ?
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Did you miss me?
Yes, I know it's been a while but I've had a good excuse, I've been to the west, Lahinch in Co. Clare to be more specific. We set out very (very) late last Wednesday and arrived in Lahinch very early on Thursday morning (sorry Johnny). But boy did we get the best of the weather. Brings me back to the good old days? Wasn't there a Summer or two in the 80's that was really fab?? I remember having to go to Gaeltacht with college and we had three weeks of the most fabulous weather, and spent the whole time (well maybe not the whole time, but most of it) ag ol agus ag ra, 'A Dhia, nach bhfuil se chomh te?' (All with the appropriate fadas in the right places of course)(I told you I'm not a techie...nor a great speller but I could have worse bad habits...and I do but lets not go there now). Anyway with the fab weather and the beautiful Burren and a sea to surf in what more would anyone need? Oh yes food, that was great too, and the deoch...perfect, even chilled! So that's my excuse I've been living it up. But I'm sure you're not too worried considering you're not even there or here to be more precise, you're not here or there are you? ...I thought not, so really I've nothing to worry about you haven't even missed me!
Saturday, May 21, 2011
I'm Back!!!!
OK so when I originally tried to set up my blog it took forever and for some strange reason, maybe down to tiredness or fedupness or something, I gave up (which is actually surprising because I am not a giverupper) Then surprise, surprise someone found my blogspot this week and sent me the link (thanks Elaina). So I'm Back and not nearly as tired as when I left the last time. x
P.S. Congrats to the winners (Chris, Andrew, Oliver and Sheena) and shortlisteeeees (Deirdre, Peter, F.E. Kevin and Oliver (again)) of the Bisto Awards, http://www.childrensbooksireland.ie/ I'm very impressed and enormously jealous.
P.S. Congrats to the winners (Chris, Andrew, Oliver and Sheena) and shortlisteeeees (Deirdre, Peter, F.E. Kevin and Oliver (again)) of the Bisto Awards, http://www.childrensbooksireland.ie/ I'm very impressed and enormously jealous.
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